Monday 18th May 2015

Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire: PH2 review

PH2 rides the world's first electric Harley-Davidson - Project LiveWire

---

It's easy to laugh at the idea of an electric Harley-Davidson. This is a firm whose engines still have push-rods and for whom water cooling was an emotional challenge for purists and had to be introduced on a limited basis. A key selling point on any Harley is not only its authenticity, but also the famous 'potato, potato' exhaust note the V-twin lump produces. So why on earth has it built an electric prototype? PH2 got to swing a leg over the first LiveWire prototype to make it over the Atlantic to find out.

A spark of fresh thinking

The cynical might suggest Project LiveWire is a publicity stunt, ensuring Harley gets media attention just as its new Street range of liquid-cooled bikes is appearing.

More generously it could be viewed as a serious attempt at getting younger riders interested in its wares. Harley is acutely aware it is in danger of becoming an 'old man's brand' and what better way to make themselves appear forward thinking than to build an electric bike?

Project LiveWire was born and for the last few months Harley has been canvassing opinion from riders all over America. So far over 7,000 riders have tested LiveWire and, according to Harley, 86 per cent were positive about the bike and 74 per cent were interested in buying one. Having filled in an evaluation form I suspect these figures are skewed slightly by the fact riders have just got off a prototype and therefore feel special, a pretty girl presents the form and there is no mention of price. But at least there is hope it may actually sell, should Harley put LiveWire into production.

Production ready

Harley is very keen to stress these bikes are hand-built prototypes, however you have to say they look pretty close to a finished product. The bikes are neatly finished with Harley's first cast aluminium frame housing a 300V battery and three-phase brushless electric motor which, Harley claims, has a range of 53 miles in range mode, a recharge time of 3.5 hours and will top 91mph.

The rest of the bike has a nice blend of the old, in the shape of Harley's traditional switchgear, and the new, with a full colour touch screen dash. The suspension is quite high spec with fully adjustable inverted forks and a monoshock. The two-piston sliding caliper is not only a bit old-school though, it lacks ABS. LiveWire may only weigh 210kg, which is pretty light for an electric bike, but I'd like a bit more stopping power and definitely ABS.

Engineered personality
Turn the bike on and the dash illuminates before you select one of the two riding modes - range or power, with range reducing the overall power by 70 per cent. A gentle whirr and speed reading on the dash lets you know the bike is ready to rock.

Which is one of the main issues Harley had to deal with when it comes to Project LiveWire - a lack of sound. The noise and vibration is part and parcel of the trad Harley experience but rather obvious in its absence on an electric bike. Harley's solution? It has actually engineered a whine (Harley claims it sounds like a jet fighter) into the bike using a bevel gear on the electric motor's drive. It shows pleasing attention to detail and LiveWire does sound great - you just wish they had gone to the same extent with the bike's electronics.

Lively and wired

Harley claims LiveWire makes 51.6lb ft of torque, which is quite a lot of grunt being delivered almost instantly and is why I'd like to see some form of traction control on any production version. We tested the bike on damp roads and the throttle response was very good seemingly the power seems to be muted at the lower end of the rev range and small throttle openings to make it friendlier.

But I could still see riders getting into difficulty if they aren't careful as LiveWire is surprisingly fast. Harley claims a 0-60mph time of under four seconds and I wouldn't argue with that. But what impressed me the most was the roll-on acceleration. Get LiveWire to around 50mph, crack the throttle open and it takes off with a remarkable turn of pace until it hits a restricted 91mph. I tested both range and power modes and there is a definite difference in acceleration. The main annoyance is that you have to stop the bike to swap modes where on other electric bikes it can be done on the move. It's a small gripe given fundamentals like handling are already pretty well sorted.

Interestingly, despite its roadster looks, LiveWire has odd-sized wheels with a 17-inch rear and 18-inch front, a combination that takes the edge off its sporting side. It's not a bad handling bike at all, but I reckon it could be made a bit more agile through a little tweaking. That said, it hides its 210kg weight very well and I'm pretty sure a bit of suspension adjustment would help without affecting its stability in any way. For a prototype it's close enough.

What's next?

Harley is adamant that LiveWire is only a prototype and its job is to gauge public opinion. So here is what I'd like to see. If it makes it to production I'd want ABS and traction control as an absolute minimum and also some kind of enhanced connectivity. The touch screen dash has GPS built in, so I'd like a sat nav with wireless connectivity to a smart device so I can plot routes and check the bike's battery status remotely via an app.

Also, how about some kind of keyless ignition that operates via a phone or even a finger print recognition system? Apple can do it. LiveWire's claimed range of 53 miles isn't really enough, I'd want closer to 100 miles, and I reckon a touch more sporting potential could be injected into the handling via a suspension adjustment or even a slight modification to the geometry. Other than that, the motor's performance is more than enough and I love the look. But here is the big question, can an electric Harley ever hope to sell?

Key to sales

Electric motorcycles have two main opportunities - urban mobility and off-road. Environmental reasons and tax breaks make congestion busting electric scooters such as the BMW C evolution viable, while cutting back on noise gives off-roaders such as the KTM Freeride E plausibility.

However with the LiveWire Harley can forge a unique path - fashion. The strength of the Harley-Davidson name could make LiveWire cool in a way you simply can't replicate with a scooter or off-roader, making it a bike to be seen on in a city environment.

Practicality has never been an issue for Harley riders, and owners are used to paying a premium for the brand. There is no denying the first generation of electric motorcycles is very pricey, which is why the BMW and KTM are struggling to take off. If Harley can cash in on the cool factor and make the LiveWire a desirable fashion object underpinned by an iconic brand it could be onto a winner.

---

Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire prototype
Engine: 300V oil-cooled electric motor with a water-cooled motor controller and recuperation technology; two power modes
Power: 73.7hp
Torque: 51.6lb ft
Top speed: 91mph (restricted)
Weight: 210kg
Range: 53 miles (claimed)

[andburg]

entered 2 seperate competitions to try and get a ride of this and failed

Really fancy this as if it made production I'd consider it as a commuter, my petrol HD only has a 95 mile range so thats not an issue.

Could even qualify for my opt-out allowance!

[andburg]

srob said:

I'd happily commute on one instead of using my car, and it would share garage space with some 'proper' bikes too.

my thoughts exactly...I'd not have an electric as my only bike the range isn't good enough.
its 80 miles to the coat for me, I'd want to be able to get there AND back

An electric for commuting and short jaunts would move me towards something better for touring with and a fun car.